The present invention relates to a printed-circuit board multi-connector, and more particularly to a printed-circuit board multi-connector for use with a flexible printed-circuit sheet.
A conventional printed-circuit board connector is entirely formed of a synthetic resinous material and its miniaturization inevitably leads to the reduction of the thickness of its body. When inserting a mating connector, i.e. a printed-circuit sheet connector into a printed-circuit sheet insertion opening of the connector, contact pieces in the connector are resiliently pressed into contact with contact members of the mating connector to provide good electrical connection. But the reaction forces resulting from the resilient displacement of the contact pieces act to widen the printed-circuit sheet insertion opening. Accordingly, when the connector body is thin, the printed-circuit sheet insertion opening is widened by the reaction forces of the contact pieces, resulting in insufficient contact between the contact pieces and the contacts of the mating printed-circuit sheet.
Further, according to the prior art, the connector body having the printed-circuit insertion opening and contact receiving portions communicating with the insertion opening is formed as a molding of a synthetic resinous material and individual contact pieces are mounted in the contact receiving portions. Such a structure imposes limitations on the reduction of the width of each of the contact pieces and the pitch of their arrangement when the connector is miniaturized.
Moreover, in the case of the conventional connector having its body formed only of the synthetic resinous material, its miniaturization encounters difficulty in obtaining a sufficient lock mechanism for stably holding the inserted mating printed-circuit sheet, introducing the possibility of the printed-circuit sheet readily coming off the connector.
In order to facilitate easy insertion of the multi-connector of the conventional flexible printed-circuit sheet commonly referred to as the flat cable into the insertion opening of the connector and to ensure good contact between them, it is considered to attach a reinforcing member to the end portion of the flexible printed-circuit sheet to be inserted and to insert the reinforced end portion of the printed-circuit sheet into the insertion opening of the connector. In the prior art, however, the reinforcing member merely mechanically hardens the end portion of the flexible printed-circuit sheet.